Lemborexant
Lemborexant is a prescription sleep aid used to treat insomnia — difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep — in adults.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 1 clinical label set within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
📖 Lemborexant: Patient Information Guide
A plain-language walkthrough of Lemborexant — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.
🎯What it's used for▾
Lemborexant (brand name: Dayvigo) is approved for one indication in adults:
- Dayvigo tablets are used to treat insomnia — specifically, trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, or both.
- It is approved for use in adults only; safety and effectiveness have not been established in children.
⚙️How it works▾
Your brain produces chemicals called orexins (also called hypocretins) that actively promote wakefulness. Lemborexant is an orexin receptor antagonist — it blocks the two receptors (OX1R and OX2R) that orexins attach to. By blocking these receptors, it prevents orexins from sending their wake-up signals to the brain. With that signal quieted, your brain can more easily transition into sleep.
A key breakdown product of lemborexant in the body, called M10, also blocks these same receptors with similar strength — meaning the sleep-promoting effect continues as the drug is processed.
💊How it's taken▾
Dayvigo tablets are taken by mouth once per night, right before getting into bed, with at least 7 hours of sleep time remaining. Your prescriber may start you at a lower dose and adjust based on how well it works and how you tolerate it — the maximum is one tablet per night. Taking Dayvigo with or shortly after a meal, especially a high-fat one, can delay how quickly it kicks in by about 2 hours, so it is best taken on an empty stomach or before eating.
- Take only once per night — never take a second dose the same night.
- If you have moderate liver impairment, your maximum dose is lower; Dayvigo is not recommended at all for severe liver impairment.
- If you are on certain other medications (CYP3A inhibitors or inducers), your dose may need to be adjusted — ask your pharmacist or prescriber.
🤒Side effects — in detail▾
The most common side effect of Dayvigo is drowsiness — this can carry over into the next day. Other reported side effects include:
- Somnolence (sleepiness), fatigue, sluggishness, or lethargy
- Headache
- Nightmares or unusual dreams
- Next-morning grogginess or impaired alertness and coordination
More serious reactions — including complex sleep behaviors (doing things while asleep with no memory of it), sleep paralysis, vivid hallucinations near sleep, cataplexy-like leg weakness, worsening depression, or thoughts of self-harm — require immediate medical attention. Stop Dayvigo and call your doctor right away if any of these occur.
⚠️Warnings & precautions▾
- Next-day impairment and driving: Dayvigo can affect your alertness, balance, and driving ability the morning after taking it. This risk is higher at the higher dose, if you get less than 7 hours of sleep, or if you combine it with alcohol or other sedating drugs. Older adults face a higher risk of falls.
- Complex sleep behaviors: Some people have walked, driven, eaten, made phone calls, or had sex while asleep — with no memory afterward. This can happen even on the first dose. Stop Dayvigo immediately and call your doctor if this happens.
- Depression and suicidal thoughts: A slightly higher rate of suicidal thoughts was seen in Dayvigo users compared to placebo. People with depression need extra monitoring. Report any new or worsening mood changes right away.
- Sleep paralysis and hallucinations: Brief inability to move while waking up, or vivid dream-like experiences between sleep and waking, can occur. These are real effects — tell your doctor if they happen.
- Breathing problems: Use with caution if you have sleep apnea, COPD, or other respiratory conditions — the effect on breathing should be considered by your prescriber.
- Persistent insomnia: If sleep does not improve after 7–10 days of treatment, contact your doctor — another underlying condition may need to be evaluated.
🔀What it interacts with▾
Lemborexant interacts with several medications and substances. Here are the most important ones to know:
- Alcohol: Combining Dayvigo with alcohol makes balance and memory problems significantly worse — avoid alcohol entirely while taking it.
- Strong or moderate CYP3A inhibitors (e.g., itraconazole, clarithromycin, fluconazole, verapamil): These raise lemborexant levels in the blood and increase the risk of side effects — avoid combining with Dayvigo.
- Strong or moderate CYP3A inducers (e.g., rifampin, carbamazepine, St. John's wort, modafinil, efavirenz): These lower lemborexant levels and may make it less effective — avoid combining.
- Weak CYP3A inhibitors (e.g., ranitidine, chlorzoxazone): These modestly raise Dayvigo levels — a lower maximum dose of Dayvigo applies when used together.
- Other CNS depressants (e.g., benzodiazepines, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants): Add to drowsiness and impairment — use only under close prescriber supervision, with possible dose adjustments.
- Bupropion or methadone (CYP2B6 substrates): Dayvigo may reduce the effectiveness of these drugs — your prescriber should monitor your response and adjust doses if needed.
This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
📋Before taking it▾
- Narcolepsy: Dayvigo is contraindicated (must not be used) in people with narcolepsy.
- Liver disease: People with moderate liver impairment need a lower maximum dose. Dayvigo is not recommended for severe liver impairment.
- Depression or suicidal thoughts: Extra caution and monitoring are needed. Only the smallest feasible supply should be dispensed at a time.
- Breathing problems (sleep apnea, COPD): Discuss with your prescriber before starting — effects on respiration should be considered.
- Older adults: Higher risk of falls due to drowsiness and impaired coordination. Use with extra caution.
- Children: Safety and effectiveness have not been established — not approved for pediatric use.
- Pregnancy: No human data on safety during pregnancy. A voluntary pregnancy registry is available (call 1-866-961-2388). Discuss risks with your doctor.
- Breastfeeding: Small amounts of lemborexant pass into breast milk. Watch breastfed infants for excessive sedation. Discuss the benefit-risk balance with your doctor.
🚑If you take too much▾
Taking too much Dayvigo is likely to cause significant drowsiness. There is no specific antidote for a lemborexant overdose. If you suspect an overdose, get medical help immediately or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Because lemborexant binds strongly to proteins in the blood, dialysis is not expected to help remove it from the body.
📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body▾
Lemborexant attaches to and blocks orexin receptors (OX1R and OX2R) in the brain, which suppresses the wake-promoting signals those receptors normally carry. Studies show it does not meaningfully affect heart rhythm (QTc interval) even at doses far above the recommended amount. However, when combined with alcohol, lemborexant significantly worsens balance and memory compared to alcohol alone — an effect measurable around 2 hours after taking a dose.
🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it▾
After taking Dayvigo by mouth, peak blood levels are reached in about 1 to 3 hours. Eating a large, high-fat meal before taking it delays that peak by roughly 2 hours. Lemborexant is broken down mainly by liver enzymes (CYP3A4/3A5), and most of the drug leaves the body through the feces and urine. It binds heavily to proteins in the blood (about 88–94%), which is why dialysis cannot effectively remove it in an overdose. With regular use, some accumulation in the body occurs over time.
📦How to store it▾
Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F), excursions permitted between 15°C and 30°C (59°F and 86°F) .
📄 Written from Lemborexant’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Lemborexant
195 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Lemborexant in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 9
- Moderate · 147
- Minor · 39
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Lemborexant — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What exactly does Dayvigo do — how does it help me sleep? ▾
When should I take it, and does it matter if I eat first? ▾
Will I feel groggy the next morning? ▾
I heard people can do things in their sleep on sleep medications — is that true with this one? ▾
Are there medications or things I should avoid while taking Dayvigo? ▾
Is it safe to take if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding? ▾
Is Lemborexant available over the counter? ▾
Is Lemborexant a controlled substance? ▾
When was Lemborexant first available? ▾
Who makes Lemborexant? ▾
💬 Answers drafted from Lemborexant’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →
🧰 Keep exploring
💊 How Lemborexant comes
Lemborexant is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Tablet
How this form is used
- Dayvigo tablets are indicated to treat insomnia in adults who have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both.
- Dayvigo tablets are taken by mouth once per night, immediately before going to bed.
- Dayvigo should only be taken when at least 7 hours of sleep time remain before you need to wake up.
- Taking Dayvigo with or right after a meal — especially a high-fat, high-calorie meal — can delay the time it takes to work; best taken away from food.
- Do not take more than one Dayvigo tablet per night; follow your prescriber's dosing instructions exactly.
📊 Lemborexant across the U.S. market
How Lemborexant appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
📈 How widely Lemborexant is used
A general measure of how commonly Lemborexant is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Lemborexant is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Lemborexant prescribed? Of the 1,597 medications we measure, Lemborexant ranks #842 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 47% of them.
Utilization by Lemborexant product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
lemborexant 10 MG Oral Tablet Most dispensed
Summed across the 1 of 3 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2288425
lemborexant 5 MG Oral Tablet
Summed across the 1 of 5 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2272408
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Lemborexant, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 2 of 8 listed Lemborexant NDCs with Medicaid activity.
🔍 Compare Lemborexant products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Lemborexant — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Tablet | ||||
| 5 mg | Oral | Eisai Inc. × 4 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 10 mg | Oral | Eisai Inc. × 3 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 5 mg | — | Eisai Manufacturing Ltd | DRUG FOR FURTHER PROCESSING | View NDC → |
| 10 mg | — | Eisai Manufacturing Ltd | DRUG FOR FURTHER PROCESSING | View NDC → |
Showing 9 of 9 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 9 Lemborexant NDCs →
📈 What people report — real-world data (FDA FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Lemborexant — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Lemborexant in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
🏛️ The road to your pharmacy
How Lemborexant went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
🚨 Recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
Source: openFDA drug enforcement (recall) reports.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 2272403 1 dose form · 2 strengths
-
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Tablet RxCUI 2272407In current FDA listings
Look up RxCUI 2272403 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
📦 Supply & shortage status
Whether Lemborexant is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
🏷️ Sold under these brand names
🏭 Manufacturers & labelers
RxNorm drug class
Lemborexant belongs to the Orexin Receptor Antagonist class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
🔬 Where this comes from
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How we combine label and product data
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 1 FDA-filed SPL label set within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.
For canonical ingredient pages, bounded product-attributed indication and administration excerpts may be added to the AI evidence, and the generator is instructed to preserve available product, brand, route, and form qualifiers instead of treating one label as universal. Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Eisai Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.
This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.